My December was not at all how I planned and expected, hopefully the start of the year will be better. All our plans for Christmas markets visits, gatherings with friends and outdoor activities were spoiled by some viruses that we caught at the beginning of the month, but also by very rainy weather that we had last month. The winter is far away from what it should be, is warm and very humid, with rain and fog. Luckily, we managed to have three days of holidays that we spent at the sea side in Istria, Croatia. We rented a house with our friends and had a nice New Year’s Eve dinner, played some board games, but most importantly, we had time to talk and enjoy our time together.
Also during these three days the weather was not very good, but we still tried to spend some time outside as well. I managed to take some photos and would like to present you the charming village of Moscenice.
It is a small medieval village, perched on a high hill under the Ucka mountain range. At an altitude of 173 meters above sea level, this small village really surprised me. A tiny village, with a cobbled narrow street, descending on the hill, has a lot of charm. I don’t know if it was because of the stones (which are the main building material), or because of the serenity and calm that was present all over the village, or just because there were small Christmas decorations all over the village that created a very cozy atmosphere. The decorations were small, but you'd immediately notice that they were done with hearts, since they were really nice.
At the entrance to the village, there is a small ethnographic museum. It is located in a building that used to be a prison. I’ve also noticed a small souvenir shop that offered souvenirs from local artists and some local products like wine and brandy.
The biggest building in the village is the St. Andrew church, from where you should have a great view of the Kvarner Gulf. We just saw the sea and the beach above us, unfortunately it was too cloudy and fogy to see further on the Adriatic Sea.
Our house was just on the corner of this village, so we had a sea view, but also the opportunity to wonder in the village whenever we want to.
It is true that it was just during the holidays, but I was surprised by the number of tourists that visited the village every day.
Walking through the village I’ve spotted also a traditional oil mill, that is not in function anymore but just open to public for visits.
The Church of St Sebastian, St Rok and Our Lady of Health, which has graced the town since 1501, also caught my eye. Interestingly, it was built outside the town walls.
And some more photos of the former guardhouse. Today in Christmas dress.
The village of Moscenice is connected by the sea shore with a road, bout there is also a nice walking path down to the sea. Nice, only in one way 😊- downhill, because there are 760 stairs from the village to the sea. It is a good way to burn some of the calories that have accumulated over the holidays.
Going back to Moscenice was not that funny anymore, and I admit that in the last quarter of the path I’ve intensively counted the stairs, hoping that the top was near. Fortunately, we don't have to count them, as they are marked every 100 steps 😅.
As mentioned already, below the village there is a charming and quite popular sea-side resort of Moscenicka Draga. It is a well-known seaside location, especially for the nice pebbled beach. I’ve never visited it in summer times. I heard a lot about this beautiful beach, but it was always presented to me like a quite crowded place, so I’ve never been there before.
The first impression of this seas side town was very nice, the beach looks great, the water is clear, and the cozy bars and restraints along the sea shore look great. Many of theme were closed, but I can imagine how vibrant is in summer days.
But never the less, we had a nice walk along the sea, the youngest one was collecting stones and sea shells. We had a nice coffee and hot cocoa at once of the sea side bars and chat about the past year and making plans for the new one.
Unfrequently the three days passed by very quickly, but we already made a plan for our next “gathering with friends”. I’m already hardly waiting for it 😊.
“Of all possessions, a friend is the most precious.” (Herodotus)
Thanks for reading,
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Best regards, 
